Energy Efficiency Markets Podcast

Accenture and Siemens have launched a joint venture, Omnetric Group, in the smart-grid field that will work with utilities to improve energy efficiency, grid operations and reliability. Jack Azagury, global managing director for Accenture Grid Services, explains in this podcast that the effort will help utilities solve the problem of integrating data with engineering. For example, the joint venture will take smart metering data and package it to help customers make better decisions about saving energy. Azagury says the effort can be "market changing" and save utilities up to 20% in their demand response efforts.

We've got much of the technology needed to solve the climate crisis. What we need now is financing innovation, says Jigar Shaw, author of "Creating Climate Wealth" in an interview with Lisa Cohn of EnergyEffficiencyMarkets.com. If we can break that barrier, we'll create what he calls climate wealth. The founder of SunEdison and the former CEO of the Carbon War Room quotes the EIA, saying we need $10 trillion by 2020 to fight climate change. We're on the path to invest $4.5 billion. "We have the technology to meet the 2020 goal," he says. "Many existing technologies are ready to be deployed." What's needed now is smart money, he says. Listen to learn what smart money is, why many EE subsidies should be eliminated and why Shaw's plan would create wealth.

Where are the jobs? You don't have to look far, when it comes to energy efficiency, says Suzanne Jones, vice president of sales and marketing for the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AES). In fact, filling the void created by retiring baby boomers is a big challenge for the industry. People are needed across the board, especially at utilities, where many boomers stayed for 20 years and are now retiring, she says. Researchers, marketers, energy efficiency program designers, and program implementers are just some of the people needed. AESP offers a website, www.myenergygateway.com, for students interested in these jobs.

As more distributed generation comes online, will we see more energy efficiency? The number of rooftop solar systems has increased dramatically. It makes most sense for solar users to focus on efficiency first, says Tom Hulsevosch, managing director, energy and utility practice, West Monroe Partners. This presents an opportunity for both energy efficiency companies and solar installers: They could focus on both installing solar and providing efficiency, he says.

California's plan calling for a massive amount of energy storage poses challenges for utilities that would be required to implement it. Mark MacCracken, CEO of Calmac, a manufacturer of thermal energy storage systems, discusses the technology options available to utilities in this podcast interview with Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com. "There will be a big learning curve," he says. "We'll see some test projects." Utilities will experience multiple benefits with energy storage under the plan. For example, they could use one energy storage device to help them address power quality and arbitrage.

The EPA estimates that 3 to 4 percent of national annual electricity consumption (or approximately 56 billion kilowatts), or $4 billion, is used to provide drinking water and wastewater services. Albert Cho, vice president for strategy and business development at Xylem, says this can account for 30 percent of the energy used by a city. Much of that energy is wasted, he says. One solution is adding equipment that can change how air is blown into the water to provide aeration, cutting by 50 percent the amount of energy used. Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com interviews Cho.

If you follow the money in clean energy, the first place you'll stop is energy efficiency, says Craig Shields, author of "Renewable Energy – Following the Money." The editor of 2greenenergy.com says, "If you want to put people back to work, energy efficiency is the place to start." His book, based on interviews with economists, philosophers and scientists, says the trajectory for long-term, high-paying jobs is energy efficiency. However, a number of challenges stand in the way, chief among them federal policy-making, he says in an interview with Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com.

With California's strict new guidelines for LED lighting, manufacturers are working to come up with LED lights that provide both energy savings and lighting quality. As they work to improve their technologies, we're seeing LED lights that can be used for many, if not all, applications. That's the word from Mike Watson, vice president of corporate marketing for the LED manufacturer Cree. The company has released the first LED bulb to exceed the California Energy Commission2019s new guidelines for LED lighting. The new Cree bulb achieves a color rendering index (CRI) of 93, making the TW Series Bulb the first to be eligible for utility rebates in California in 2014. SMUD has already confirmed it will provide a rebate for the new Cree TW Series LED Bulb.

Radiant barriers, which reduce air conditioning costs, have been around for many years. They save up to 17% per month on cooling costs by reducing attic temperatures by up to 30 degrees. They achieve this by blocking radiant heat from the sun. New building codes and mandates have boosted the market for radiant barriers. Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com interviews Lorraine Bittles, the OSB product manager for LP Building Products about the uses and market for radiant barriers. Interested in helping shape which topics we cover at EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com? Please fill out this short survey: http://kevinnormandeau.polldaddy.com/s/energy-efficiency-markets-audience-survey-2013

How can quantum computing reap energy efficiency? In lots of ways. It helps solve complex problems in ways that reap energy efficiency. For example, it can be used to solve complicated scheduling challenges for Fed Ex, which leads to more efficient routes and gas savings. It can help airlines schedule flights more efficiently, again, saving on fuel costs. And it can be used to help decide how best to plug surplus energy into the grid. In this podcast, Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com interviews Jeremy Hilton, vice president of processor development for D-Wave, which is the world's first commercial quantum computing company.

What could energy efficiency and innovation do for climate change? Tom Stoner, author of "Small Change, Big Gains: Reflections of an Energy Entrepreneur," describes Project Butterfly, which aims to create a new business case for the global energy system--a case that reduces carbon emissions as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. A seasoned energy industry player, he worked with top scientists, researchers and economists to evaluate a number of options, and found that shutting down all coal-fired plants and other policy changes wouldn't be effective. Instead, he came up with a plan that focuses on energy efficiency, redirecting energy subsidies, and opening up energy markets to innovation. "This could alter forecasted carbon dioxide levels to keep us out of the danger zone," he says in a podcast interview with Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com.

Lean energy is an old term that has been re-invented, says Michael Overturf, CEO of ZF Energy Development. How does the new lean energy cut costs for industrial energy users by 18 to 20%? He explains how industrial users can use equipment and systems that allow them to change fuels quickly and take advantage of the best possible energy pricing.

Lean energy is an old term that has been re-invented, says Michael Overturf, CEO of ZF Energy Development. How does the new lean energy cut costs for industrial energy users by 18 to 20%? He explains how industrial users can use equipment and systems that allow them to change fuels quickly and take advantage of the best possible energy pricing.

In a smart grid application, utility Sacramento Public Utility District (SMUD) has moved from using maps and push pins to visual analytics to help make decisions about outages, smart meters, and other issues. Steve Ehrlich, SVP, Marketing, of Space-Time Insight, which has supplied a smart grid system to SMUD, says that many utilities are still using maps and push pins. But situational intelligence software can help utilities unite and analyze data from various sources--outage information, wind speed data, and smart meter data, for example. One of the biggest benefits of this type of system: It helps utilities avoid outages and prevents crises. Lisa Cohn of EnergyEfficiencyMarkets.com interviews Ehrlich about how utilities benefit from such systems.

PNC, a financial services bank, has just certified its 200th LEED building. Why the big push in LEED buildings for this company? They save on energy costs, boost productivity, and are customers' preferred place to bank, says Nana Wilbeforce, energy manager with PNC Realty Services Group, which maintains the buildings. In fact, the LEED-certified branches see $463,000 more deposits per paid employee per year than the non-certified buildings. The green buildings, with their increased sunlight, low-VOC materials, and pleasant lighting make employees more productive and draw more customers, he says. While others complain that the certification process is too timely and costly, he says the time and effort are worth it.